May Day gift #2: The firefly lantern
May. 3rd, 2009 01:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bnewman(See my previous entry for some background context which I won't repeat here.)
Another major Bryn Mawr tradition is the lantern — each student has a lantern, which is bestowed upon her during her first year at Lantern Night, a solemn occasion which serves as the sisterhood's initiation. (The Bryn Mawr traditions essentially constitute a single large sorority consisting of the entire student body.)
There are several occasions when these lanterns are traditionally lit, including step-sings, the night-time gatherings of song which close each of the major festivals. Guests are welcome at most of these events, and it's nice to bring a lantern, but of course it won't be a Bryn Mawr lantern. The last time I was at May Day, I made an impromptu origami lantern. (Why doesn't it burn? You'll see!) This year, I'm finally posting the instructions.
You will need two squares of paper, one a translucent white, and one an opaque darker color. The opaque square should be about half again as big as the white one, as shown below.
You will also need a stapler, a hole punch, string, and a glow stick (that's why it doesn't burn) about half as long as the diagonal of the white square.
Ordinary typing paper is fine for the white square, if it's not too thick. A distinctive handmade paper could be really beautiful here, too, but make sure it's one that can hold precise creases. Do not use a colored paper for this part in order to get a lantern that gives colored light, it won't work — use white paper, and choose a glow stick of the desired color. For the opaque square, I used a piece cut from a brown paper bag — the pre-existing creases won't get in the way.
Put the opaque square aside.
If you've cut your white square from typing paper, you've probably already creased one of the main diagonals. If not, do so. Lay the paper flat so that the creased diagonal is vertical. Fold one of the side corners just past the center diagonal, along a crease which runs through the bottom corner, like this:
Repeat on the other side:
Carefully, starting from just below the top of the folded-in flaps, pleat the bottom triangle along its whole length, like this:
The exact placement of the pleats isn't critical, but for a rounded tip, they should be closer together near the bottom. Make the creases firm and precise.
Now, unfold everything. The distinctive pattern of creases is still there:
Very carefully, reverse the polarity of each crease outside the long side folds — leave the part of the crease between the side folds the way it is. The paper will refuse to stay flat, and should assume a pyramidal shape like this:
Re-fold the side folds, bringing the sides into the center as before. Because of the pleats, this will be harder than you might think.
When you fold the sides all the way in, one will be on top of the other. Carefully, zip the pleats together so that there is a single tube that is pleated, rather than two separately pleated layers. It's tricky — try lifting up the front edge of the pleat on the inside layer and slipping the back edge of the pleat on the outside layer under it. It should look like this:
To hold the tube together and those interlocked pleats in place, slip a stapler inside the tube and staple the two layers between as many of the pleats as you can reach. Don't staple the pleats themselves, staple between them where there are only two layers of paper, like this:
The abdomen is almost complete! Put it aside and get the larger, opaque sheet. Crease one of the main diagonals, like this:
Then, unfold the square and crease the other main diagonal.
Turn the paper over, and crease both orthogonal (horizontal and vertical) center lines, like this:
With the paper folded in half orthogonally, but allowed to hang slightly open, begin to bring the corners together...
...into this shape, which is called the "preliminary fold" because so many models begin with it:
Lay the model flat so that there are two flaps on each side. Fold the bottom edge of one of the front flaps to the center line, along a crease running through the bottom corner, like this:
It's a good idea to crease this fold in the other direction as well. Do the same on the other side:
Grab the bottom front corner...
...and pull it up and back. The sides of the flaps will want to bend in to form a pocket, along the creases made in the previous steps, and a horizontal crease will form between the top ends of those creases:
Help all these creases into place as you pull the corner all the way up, and flatten the sides of the pocket...
...into this shape, called a "petal fold":
Turn the paper over and petal fold the opposite corner in the same manner. The result will be this shape (shown opened out a little so you can see its structure), called the "bird base" because many models of birds begin with it:
Take hold of the two bottom corners (the ones you didn't pull up into petal folds) and pull them apart...
...allowing the paper to open up, like this:
Poke the point in the middle down, so that one of the main diagonal creases runs straight rather than peaking in the middle. The paper will be almost entirely unfolded:
Turn the paper over. Lift up one of the corners and pull it in, allowing the edges of the paper to fold in along the petal creases:
Flatten the point down, allowing the paper to crease on the inside...
...to get this shape:
Fold that half of the paper behind along the main diagonal crease...
...like this:
Rotate the paper half-way around and repeat the above steps with the opposite corner...
...to get this shape, called the "stretched bird base" because you got to it by taking the bird base and stretching it:
Fold one of the sides in and down, along a 45-degree crease which runs from the very center of the top, so that the flat part of the top edge on that side is brought down to meet the center line. It should look like this:
Crease that fold in both directions. Pull the two layers of the top edge away from each other along the creases just made...
...and pull them down...
...reversing the polarity of the main diagonal crease within the region that you are pulling down...
...and flatten. This is called an "outside reverse fold". Repeat on the other side, like this:
Now undo both reverse folds. Don't worry, the creases are still there and it will be easy to do them again. We'll need those creases now as guides for the next steps.
Take the top layer of the corner that is pointing down in the center, and fold it up to the top where the creases just made meet each other:
Unfold, and fold the same point down and in along the same crease, so that it is hidden:
At either end of the fold just made is a blunt corner. Blunt it even more by folding it down...
...and then unfolding it and pushing it inside — this is called an "inside reverse fold" — like this:
Repeat with the other blunt corner, and flatten, to form the ventral plate of the thorax:
Get the abdomen, and line the top corner up with the diagonal creases made by the outside reverse folds you made earlier. Note that the abdomen is a little wider than the triangle defined by those creases:
Fold the side corners of the abdomen in to narrow the abdomen down to the width of that triangle:
Unfold, and push the corners inside into an inside reverse fold, like this:
It's okay if these particular folds are a bit sloppy, because no one will see them. Flatten:
Flip the abdomen over, if necessary, so that the flat side (the one without edges or staples) is on top. Lift up the rounded flap of the thorax to reveal two pockets, the insides of the two layers visible at the top edge. Insert the top corner of the abdomen into the top pocket...
...keeping it lined up with the diagonal creases you lined it up with before, like this:
Insert your stapler between the layers...
...and staple the top layer only, to hold the abdomen in place. Make sure the staple doesn't cross either of the reverse fold creases:
Punch a hole through all layers between the top corner and the staple. (You may want to use reinforcing ring labels to strengthen the paper around this hole on each layer.)
Now, since you didn't staple the two main layers at the top together, you should be able to re-fold those outside reverse folds to form the wing covers:
Cut about ten inches of string and tie it through the hole at the top, first tying the two layers together to hold the lantern in shape, and then tying the ends of the string together to make a carrying loop. To light the lantern, lift up the pointy side of the thorax, lift up the free edge of the abdomen, and insert a glow stick (not shown) into the pocket revealed:
The firefly lantern complete:
Another major Bryn Mawr tradition is the lantern — each student has a lantern, which is bestowed upon her during her first year at Lantern Night, a solemn occasion which serves as the sisterhood's initiation. (The Bryn Mawr traditions essentially constitute a single large sorority consisting of the entire student body.)
There are several occasions when these lanterns are traditionally lit, including step-sings, the night-time gatherings of song which close each of the major festivals. Guests are welcome at most of these events, and it's nice to bring a lantern, but of course it won't be a Bryn Mawr lantern. The last time I was at May Day, I made an impromptu origami lantern. (Why doesn't it burn? You'll see!) This year, I'm finally posting the instructions.
You will need two squares of paper, one a translucent white, and one an opaque darker color. The opaque square should be about half again as big as the white one, as shown below.
You will also need a stapler, a hole punch, string, and a glow stick (that's why it doesn't burn) about half as long as the diagonal of the white square.
Ordinary typing paper is fine for the white square, if it's not too thick. A distinctive handmade paper could be really beautiful here, too, but make sure it's one that can hold precise creases. Do not use a colored paper for this part in order to get a lantern that gives colored light, it won't work — use white paper, and choose a glow stick of the desired color. For the opaque square, I used a piece cut from a brown paper bag — the pre-existing creases won't get in the way.
Put the opaque square aside.
If you've cut your white square from typing paper, you've probably already creased one of the main diagonals. If not, do so. Lay the paper flat so that the creased diagonal is vertical. Fold one of the side corners just past the center diagonal, along a crease which runs through the bottom corner, like this:
Repeat on the other side:
Carefully, starting from just below the top of the folded-in flaps, pleat the bottom triangle along its whole length, like this:
The exact placement of the pleats isn't critical, but for a rounded tip, they should be closer together near the bottom. Make the creases firm and precise.
Now, unfold everything. The distinctive pattern of creases is still there:
Very carefully, reverse the polarity of each crease outside the long side folds — leave the part of the crease between the side folds the way it is. The paper will refuse to stay flat, and should assume a pyramidal shape like this:
Re-fold the side folds, bringing the sides into the center as before. Because of the pleats, this will be harder than you might think.
When you fold the sides all the way in, one will be on top of the other. Carefully, zip the pleats together so that there is a single tube that is pleated, rather than two separately pleated layers. It's tricky — try lifting up the front edge of the pleat on the inside layer and slipping the back edge of the pleat on the outside layer under it. It should look like this:
To hold the tube together and those interlocked pleats in place, slip a stapler inside the tube and staple the two layers between as many of the pleats as you can reach. Don't staple the pleats themselves, staple between them where there are only two layers of paper, like this:
The abdomen is almost complete! Put it aside and get the larger, opaque sheet. Crease one of the main diagonals, like this:
Then, unfold the square and crease the other main diagonal.
Turn the paper over, and crease both orthogonal (horizontal and vertical) center lines, like this:
With the paper folded in half orthogonally, but allowed to hang slightly open, begin to bring the corners together...
...into this shape, which is called the "preliminary fold" because so many models begin with it:
Lay the model flat so that there are two flaps on each side. Fold the bottom edge of one of the front flaps to the center line, along a crease running through the bottom corner, like this:
It's a good idea to crease this fold in the other direction as well. Do the same on the other side:
Grab the bottom front corner...
...and pull it up and back. The sides of the flaps will want to bend in to form a pocket, along the creases made in the previous steps, and a horizontal crease will form between the top ends of those creases:
Help all these creases into place as you pull the corner all the way up, and flatten the sides of the pocket...
...into this shape, called a "petal fold":
Turn the paper over and petal fold the opposite corner in the same manner. The result will be this shape (shown opened out a little so you can see its structure), called the "bird base" because many models of birds begin with it:
Take hold of the two bottom corners (the ones you didn't pull up into petal folds) and pull them apart...
...allowing the paper to open up, like this:
Poke the point in the middle down, so that one of the main diagonal creases runs straight rather than peaking in the middle. The paper will be almost entirely unfolded:
Turn the paper over. Lift up one of the corners and pull it in, allowing the edges of the paper to fold in along the petal creases:
Flatten the point down, allowing the paper to crease on the inside...
...to get this shape:
Fold that half of the paper behind along the main diagonal crease...
...like this:
Rotate the paper half-way around and repeat the above steps with the opposite corner...
...to get this shape, called the "stretched bird base" because you got to it by taking the bird base and stretching it:
Fold one of the sides in and down, along a 45-degree crease which runs from the very center of the top, so that the flat part of the top edge on that side is brought down to meet the center line. It should look like this:
Crease that fold in both directions. Pull the two layers of the top edge away from each other along the creases just made...
...and pull them down...
...reversing the polarity of the main diagonal crease within the region that you are pulling down...
...and flatten. This is called an "outside reverse fold". Repeat on the other side, like this:
Now undo both reverse folds. Don't worry, the creases are still there and it will be easy to do them again. We'll need those creases now as guides for the next steps.
Take the top layer of the corner that is pointing down in the center, and fold it up to the top where the creases just made meet each other:
Unfold, and fold the same point down and in along the same crease, so that it is hidden:
At either end of the fold just made is a blunt corner. Blunt it even more by folding it down...
...and then unfolding it and pushing it inside — this is called an "inside reverse fold" — like this:
Repeat with the other blunt corner, and flatten, to form the ventral plate of the thorax:
Get the abdomen, and line the top corner up with the diagonal creases made by the outside reverse folds you made earlier. Note that the abdomen is a little wider than the triangle defined by those creases:
Fold the side corners of the abdomen in to narrow the abdomen down to the width of that triangle:
Unfold, and push the corners inside into an inside reverse fold, like this:
It's okay if these particular folds are a bit sloppy, because no one will see them. Flatten:
Flip the abdomen over, if necessary, so that the flat side (the one without edges or staples) is on top. Lift up the rounded flap of the thorax to reveal two pockets, the insides of the two layers visible at the top edge. Insert the top corner of the abdomen into the top pocket...
...keeping it lined up with the diagonal creases you lined it up with before, like this:
Insert your stapler between the layers...
...and staple the top layer only, to hold the abdomen in place. Make sure the staple doesn't cross either of the reverse fold creases:
Punch a hole through all layers between the top corner and the staple. (You may want to use reinforcing ring labels to strengthen the paper around this hole on each layer.)
Now, since you didn't staple the two main layers at the top together, you should be able to re-fold those outside reverse folds to form the wing covers:
Cut about ten inches of string and tie it through the hole at the top, first tying the two layers together to hold the lantern in shape, and then tying the ends of the string together to make a carrying loop. To light the lantern, lift up the pointy side of the thorax, lift up the free edge of the abdomen, and insert a glow stick (not shown) into the pocket revealed:
The firefly lantern complete:
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Date: 2009-05-03 08:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-04 02:18 am (UTC)